Slug-trimmer for linotype-machines.



iirrrarnn s rains Parana ionising HANS PETERSEN, or

Specification of Letters Patent.

emone, Iowa, Assilenoit 'iio anamitoeahzefi COMPANY, or DAVENPORT, IOWA, A CORPORATION.

stile-TRIMMER FOR LIuoTYrE-MAcntnEs.

Patented may 3, Mitt.

Application filed July 15, 1916. Serial No. 169,545.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Hans PETERSEN, citizen of the United States, residing at Davenport, in the county of Scott and State of Iowa have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Slug-Trimmers for Linotype-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in a slug trimming mechanism for linotype machines. 7 j

This class of machines are generally de signed to cast an entire line of type in one piece which is known as the linotype or slug, and is usually provided with a series of ribs upon one side permitting the slug to be readily trimmed to a definite and accurate size as the same is ejected from the mold. During this process of trimming the slug outlet of the mold is in alinement with the space between the pair of trimming knives which are set so as to remove a part of the projecting rib from one side of the slug and the fins from the opposite sides thereof to insure the production of a slug that is of a definite width and relatively smooth on both sides. In trimming the slug it is particularly desirableto have both ends thereof of substantially the same width so that when a plurality of the slugs are clamped within a form. there is no tendency of the slugs to bulge downward or spread in any manner.

Heretofore with the older devices it has been very difficult. if not impossible to produce a slug by this method of trimming,

that is of substantially the same width at both ends after the same has passed between the trimming knives, it having been found that the upper or character portionof the slug is usually of a width greater than the lower end of the slug. The reasonjfor this is undoubtedly because of the strain produced by the removal of the excess metal from-the slug, as it iswell recognized that the strain produced by the shock at the time the forward end of the slug engages the cutting edges of'the knifefis much greater than any time subsequentlyduring the travel of the slug between the knives.

When the slug first engages the knives they are forced apart, by the forward end thereof a very slight distance, after which. the elas} ticity of the material of the machine tends" to movethe knives towardeach other, re-

sulting in a trifle more metal being removed at the lower end of the slug than the top thereof lVhile the difference in width between the forward and rear end of the slug is usually only about .0025, this difference is of considerable consequence when the slugs are placed in. a column one againstthe other to the number of one to two hundred slugs, being apparent that the accumulated inaccuracies will add to a very apprcciable amount. M v V j It is an object of the present invention to provide a machine that produces a slug in whichboth ends will be of a uniform width after passing between the trimming knives. This is accomplished by providing a pair of trimming knives, one of the knives having its cutting edge disposed in advance of the cutting edge of the other knife and be ing providedwith a receding bearing surface over which the slug passes after it has been ejected from the mold. As the slug is ejected from the mold its smooth side first strikes the cutting edge of the higher knife whereby the fins or burs are removed from the top ofthe slug, but as soon as the slug has left the influence of the mold, the same will be tilted by the cutting edge of the long knife which forms a bearing therefor, which in itself will result in trimming the slug a trifle larger at its lower end. However, when the rear portion of the slughas passed the cutting edge of the higher knife, it will then follow the surface of the receding knife, so that the slug will then gradually increase in thickness toward'the bottom, until it is of at least an equal thickness to the top, depending on the angle of the receding knife-and. the difference height of the knives. occur in the trimming of the slug, it will be in the most desirable direction, that is to If any trifling inaccuracy should say the slug will be trimmed largest at the bottom, due to thereceding or inclining surface i of one of the trimming knives over which the slug is advanced. If the slug is smaller at the bottom than the forward portion, when a ,number'of slugsare placed in a form and clamped, thepressure is all upon the lower ends of the slugs, which will cause them to bulge and move from their proper positions. This objection does not occur when the slugs are the same width at both:

ends, and even if the slugs are a trifle larger at the bottom than at the top, as the clamping action is all upon the lower portion of the slug, no improper positioning or spreading of the upper ends of the slugs will occur, which has been a serious objection when the older types of slugs have been clamped in a form.

In the drawings,

Figure l designates a sectional view taken through the wall of the mold and the out ting knives and illustrates the slug as the same is first forced into contact with the trimming knives;

Fig. 2 is a top plan View;

Fig.3 is a view of the slug after the same has passed through the trimming mechanism;

Fig. l. is a sectional view showing the slug immediately after the same has passed through the opening in the wall of the mold and being tilted to follow the receding surface of the upper knife; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view illustrating the slug during its passage between the trimming knives after the same has passed the influence of the cutting edge of the high knife.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings wherein like reference characters indicate corresponding parts, the numeral 1 designates the wall mold of any conventional type having the slug outlet 2 provided with grooves and arranged in alinement with the space between the cutting knives 3 and 4 that are spaced a slight distance from the wall of the mold and receive the slug 4 having the ribs thereon after the same has been ejected through the slug opening by any well known means. As the slug 4 leaves the opening its side generally known as the smooth side first comes in contact with the cutting edge of the knife 3 which I will'designate as the high knife being of a height substantially greater than the knife l and having a cutting edge positioned Well in advance of the cuttitng edge of the knife -l. The knife 3 has a bearing surface receding toward its opposite end and constitutes the supporting means for the slug during its passage between the knives. The knife 4k is of the usual construction and is provided with a cuttitng edge at its forward end, it being apparent that the bearing surface of the knife 4 may be straight.

As the slug is ejected from the mold when the forward portion thereof strikes the cutting edge of the knife 3 that is in advance of the cutting edge of the knife 4:, the small finsor burs that might happen to be upon the smooth side of the slug are removed therefrom by the knife 3, and as the slug continues to travel, the same occupies a substantially straight position, removing the rough portions from the smooth side of the slug until the rear end of the slug has passed through the opening in the wall of the mold. At this time the slug will be tilted as dis closed in Fig. l of the drawings, due to the fact that the cutting edge of the knife 3 forms a bearing therefor and when the slug has left the mold the upper portion thereof will follow the receding surface of the knife 3, thereby increasing the distance between the cutting edges of the knives relatively to the slug. As the slug continues to travel between the knives the upper surface thereof merely rides upon or follows the receding surface of the knife 3 while the ribbed side of the slug is being acted upon or trimmed by the cutting edge of the knife l, the slug at this time of course occupying an angular or tilted position.

hen the slug has reached the position as designated in Fig. 4 that is after the rear thereof has passed the cutting edge of the knife 3 the same will then merely follow the receding bearing surface of the knife and the ribbed portion of the slug will not be acted upon to the same extent by the cutting edge of the knife 4, in view of the fact that the distance between the cutting edge of the knife 4 and the portion of the knife 3 adjacent thereto is of greater width than at a point opposite the cutting edge of the high knife in a straight line from the low knife. It will be seen that when the slug reaches the position in Fig. 5 the cutting edge of the long knife no longer acts as a hearing or ful crum for the slug and'that the same at this time merely proceeds between the two knives and follows the receding surface of the knife 3 thus resulting in a slug that has a thickness at its lower end of the same width as the upper end of the slug. However, if for any reason any trifling inaccuracy should occur, it will be in the most desirable direc tion, that is to say the slug will bea trifle wider at its lower end than the width of its upper end. This is due to the fact that as the slug passes between the knives when the same is engaged by the cutting edge of the knife 3 this portion of the knife acts as a bearing for the slug and tilts the same so that the ribbed side of the slug is forced away from the cutting edge of the knife 4, cansing the ribs of the slug .to be trimmed a less amount, while when the slug reaches the position indicated in Fig. 5, the lower end has passed beyond the influence of the cutting edge of the, knife 3 and the ribbed side thereof is trimmed gradually less, the slug merely following the receding surface of the knife 3. A portion of the rear end of the slug equal to the distance the cutting edge of the knife 4 is spaced from the cutting edge of the knife 3 will therefore gradually increase in thickness, so that the ribs will always project a predetermined distance beyond the body of the slug at its lower end, the width of the slug at this end being equal if not a slight bit greater than the width of the forward end of the slug.

While the mechanism is generally designed to trim slugs having ribs on one side thereof, it will, of course, be understood that a slug can be trimmed having smooth sides in the same manner as heretofore de scribed in trimming the usual ribbed slug.

A slug of the present type contains innumerable advantages over the older form of the slug in that both ends of the slug are generally of uniform width, but if any inaccuracy should occur, the same will be at the lower end of the slug which will never be of a width less than the forward end of the slug, but might at times be a slight bit wider than the character carrying portion of the slug. In this way it will be seen that when the slugs are clamped together in the usual form, the same are positively held and all bulging or moving of the various individual slugs in the form is prevented. It will of course be understood that if the slug were of less width at the bottom than at the top when a number of slugs are placed in a form and clamping pressure applied thereto, the slugs will have a tendency to move upwardly whereby the printing edges of the various slugs are disalined, and, manifestly, this is a very serious ob jection. It will, therefore, be seen that by using a trimming mechanism as described the slugs are generally trimmed so that both ends are of the same width, but if for any reason the ends are not of uniform width, the lower portion of the slug will be slightly wider than the upper portion thereof and this increased thickness at the lower end of the slug does not render the same objectionable for the reason that the slugs can be clamped in a form when they are slightly wider at their bottom than their upper portion in a very satisfactory manner.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will, of course be understood that many changes may be made without departing from the spirit thereof.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. A slug trimming mechanism for linotype machines comprising a pair of trimming knives, one of said knives having its cutting edge arranged in advance of the other, for the purpose described.

2. A slug trimming mechanism for linotype machines comprising a pair of trimming knives for trimming slugs, the said knives being positioned whereby the cutting edge of one knife is arranged in advance of the other and is provided with a receding bearing surface over which the slug travels, substantially as described.

3. A slug trimming mechanism for a linotype machine comprising a pair of trimming knives, one of said knives being higher than the other knife and having its cutting edge disposed in advance of said second knife, the high knife being provided with a receding bearing surface over which the slug travels.

4 A trimming mechanism for linotype machines comprising a pair of trimming knives, one of said knives being shorter than the other, the longer knife having its cutting edge disposed in advance of the cutting edge of the short knife and provided with a surface receding from the surface of the short knife, substantially as described.

5. In a linotype machine, a pair of slug trimming knives, one of which is higher than the other, the spacing of the knives being greater opposite the cutting edge of the low knife than it is on a line in the direction of the travel of the slug opposite the cutting edge of the high knife.

In testimony whereof I aiiiX my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HANS PETERSEN.

Witnesses:

(Jr-ms. Ginonmsr, G. E. LAU.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

